Theater-chair.



No. 776,044. PATENTED NOV. 29, 1904.

H. BLANCHARD.

THEATER CHAIR.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 8, 1904.

2 SHEETS-BHEET 1` y Valga- NO. vva,o44. PATENTED Nov. 29, 1904. H.BLANGHARB.

THEATER CHAIR.

APPLIUATION FILED FEB. 8, 1904. I

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NITED I STATES Patented November 29, 1904.

PATnNT OFFICE.

THEATER-GHAIH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 776,044, dated November 29, 1904. Application led February 8, 1901i. Serial No. 192,556. tNo model.)

To ttl whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HORACE BLANCHARD, of

Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Theater-Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to chairs for theaters, concert-halls, ctc., where it is desirable to fold the seat of the chair upwardly toward or against the back when the seat is not in use to utilize the space between the rows of seats.

The invention has for its object to provide a folding chair the seat of which is adapted. to be automatically folded or swung upwardly when the occupant rises, no care or attention on the part of the occupant of the chair being required to cause the folding action.

The invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specilication, Figure l represents a side elevation of a foldingchair embodying' my invention. Fig'. 2represents a vertical section of the chair, showing the seat in the position it occupies when about to be tilted upwardly. Fig. 3 shows in sectional view the seat in its folded position. IncidentallyT the spaces between Figs. l, 2, and 3 correspond to the spaces between the rows of chairs. Fig'. a shows a front elevation of the chair in the position shown by Fig'. 3. Fig'. 5 is a perspective View of the seat detached. Fig'. 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. It.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, u represents the seat of a folding chair. Said seat is connected, as hereinafter described, with a frame which cornprises end pieces c c and a back c, the seat being located between the end pieces.

' 7) represents a stud afiixed to the end pieces and extending between the sameas a pivoter axis on which the seat is adapted to turn. l have here shown the stud as made in a single piece extending from one end piece c to the other; but it is obvious that the stud may be subdivided into 'two short sections, each aiiixed to one of the end pieces and projecting into without extending across the width of the seat. The seat is movable edgewise relatively to the stud in such direction that when the seat is in its operative position (shown in Fig. l) it is adapted to be moved backwardly in a horizontal direction by pressure against its forward edge. Suitable means, such as springs y g, are employed for normally forcing' the seat .forward and holding it yieldingly in the position shown in Fig. 1, said springs being' preferably arranged in sockets under the seat and supported at their rear ends in such manner that their forward ends exert forward pressure on the seat. The seat is provided with projections l CZ, extending in opposite directions from the rear portions of the side edges of the seat.V The end pieces c c are provided with grooves adapted to receive the projections Z (l. Each curve is preferably of the forni shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and comprises a substantially horizontal upper portion 2 and a curved or segmental lower portion 3, the latter being' preferably concentric with the stud Thearrangement of the said grooves is such that when the seat is in its normal position, as shown in Fig'. 2, the projections'd (Z enter the horizontal portions 2 of the grooves and cooperate with said portions and with the stud in supporting the seat in its operative position, the projections (l being' held against the upper sides of the groove portions 2 by the weight of the oceu* pant of the chair. When backward pressure is exerted on the forward edge of the seat, the

springs g g/ yield to such pressure and permit the projections Z to move backwardly until they enter the upper ends of the curved portions Bof the grooves. Springs ff, engaged with fixed sockets f" f2, are arranged to exerta constant upward pressure against the seat at points between the stud and the forward edge of the seat. Oonseq uently when the seat is moved bacluvardly, as above described, the springs f j' immediately move the forward edge ofthe seat upwardly, causing' the pro jections d l to enter the curved portions 3 of the grooves, as shown in Fig. 2, and eventu ally raising the seat to a substantially vertical position, as shown in Fig'. When a person is about to rise from a chair, he moves his feet baekwardly as far as possible under the -rising cause them to exert a backward presseat, so as to locate them as near the centerl 0i' ment of said supporting members, and means gravity of his body as possible. I have disi for exerting upward pressure on the forward covered-that after the feet have been so loi portion of the seat, whereby when the said cated the movements of the legs in the act of 1 seat-supporting members are separated the seat is turned upwardly.

2. A chair comprising a frame having end members provided in their inner sides with grooves, each groove having a substantially horizontal upper portion and a curved or segmental lower portion, a stud connected with the frame, a seat mounted to swing and to move edgewise on the stud, said seat having projections entering the frame-grooves and cooperating with the horizontal portions of said grooves and with the stud in supporting the seat in its operative position, springs for yieldingly holding the seat at the forward extreme of its sliding' movement with its projections in the horizontal portions of the grooves, and springs exerting upward pressure on the forward portion of the seat, whereby when the seat is moved backwardly to remove its projections from the horizontal portions of the grooves the seat is forced upwardly to a folded position, the seat projections entering the segmental portions of the grooves.

ln testimony whereof l have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HORACE BLANCHARD.

rlhis back- 1 sure on the front edge of the seat.

ward pressure is sufficient to move the seat backward until its projections l coincide with the curved portions 3 of the grooves in the frame. It will be seen, therefore, that the l seat is automatically released by the act of its i occupant in rising, so that after the occupant i has risen the seat is automatically folded out of the way.

The utility of my invention, especially in crowded theaters in times of panic, will be obvious.

To restore the seat to its operative position, it is only necessary to swing its forward edge downwardly until the projections Z coincide with the horizontal portions 2 of the grooves, whereupon the springs g will force the seat forward to the position shown in Fig. 2.

I claiml. A chair comprising a frame, a stud connected therewith, a seat mounted both to swing and to move edgewise on said pivot, seat-supporting members on the seat and frame which cooperate with the stud in supporting` the seat in its operative position and permit its backward edgewise movement to separate said members` means for yieldingly holding the Witnesses: seat at the forward extreme of its edgewise THos. M. EVERET'L, movement to normally maintain the engagei C. F. BROWN. 

